I searched through many boxes looking for meaning and answers to what life is really about. I have plowed through doors and entered places that I wish I had never gone and none of them led me into God’s presence. It was only after Jesus Christ came into my life and His precious, Holy Spirit filled my heart that everything changed. I entered a completely new world. It was like crossing a curtain that separates the heavenly and earthly realms. Thankfully, God does not force us to keep the big box or what’s behind the door but continually allows us the dignity to choose each day. Now, let us cross the entrance and take a look at what is behind the curtain.
“And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death,] Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” Hebrews 10:19-25 NLT
The scriptures say we enter heaven’s Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus. Jesus himself is the curtain that was torn open from top to bottom allowing us confident access to the very throne room where the Most High God himself gives us a grand entrance into his presence.
“So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” 2 Peter 1:10-11 NLT
Remember, when Jesus breathed his last breath with “it is finished”, the curtain in the temple entrance into the Holy of Holies was torn from top to bottom signifying that God himself split that curtain to provide open invitation for man to cross the threshold into that Holy Place by the blood of Jesus Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God himself provided this lamb as the perfect sacrifice for our sins and the sins of the world.
As we walk behind the curtain we began to experience a new relationship with God himself and can enter into heaven itself. In Revelation 4 John give us a glimpse of heaven….
The first thing he saw was a dazzling throne with something as brilliant as sparkling diamonds, jasper and carnelian exuding from it. It was encircled by a radiant emerald tinted rainbow while bolts of lighting and peals of thunder emanated from it. The dazzling throne was surrounded by 24 other thrones with 24 elders sitting on them wearing white robes and golden crowns. In front of the dazzling throne was a sea so peaceful that it appeared to be made of crystal, a golden bowl filled with incense, seven lamp stands with seven torches and four, six-winged creatures that were covered with eyes all around. Each being had different features; one looked like a lion, one like an ox, one like a man and one like an eagle. They could not contain themselves but continually cried, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” while the 24 elders fell to the ground and cast their crowns at the feet of the One who sat on the dazzling throne. These elders sang a new song, “Worthy is the Lamb…..,” the voices of a myriad of angels, then every created thing in heaven, on earth and in the sea joined in a glorious crescendo of praise.
What a magnificent scene depicting the entrance way to the throne room of God Almighty and we are welcomed in because he has extended his scepter to each one of us and his invitation to, “Come up here.” This throne room is in our hearts when we invited Jesus to come in and rule over our lives, we gained access through the curtain because of blood of Jesus Christ. The kingdom of God is within us.
“Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.” Luke 12:32 KJV
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20-21 KJV
Things on earth such as rainbows can remind us of his presence in our lives and empower us to rejoice in the revelation that he is with us through all things. We can join with the angels and saints in singing, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty” and know that whenever we worship he actually inhabits our praises. (Psalm 22:3) When we praise and worship the Lord he comes and dwells in those praises because he is drawn to our praises and thanksgiving. Do you realize that when we begin to praise the Lord it makes the enemy flee? Psalm 149:5-9 says, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand; To execute vengeance upon the heathen, and punishments upon the people; To bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron; To execute upon them the judgment written: this honour have all his saints. Praise ye the Lord.”
The entire Bible, not just the book of Psalms speaks about praising the Lord. It is critical to our lives as Christians. Praising God is not just singing songs to the Lord but we also praise Him with our entire lives, in both the good times and the hard times. In Exodus 15 the Israelites praised the Lord after he gave them a might victory against the Egyptians; Hezekiah praised the Lord asking him for direction as he spread out the letters from Sennacherib in 2 Kings 19; Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego went into the fiery furnace praising the Lord amidst the flames; Paul and the other Apostles praised the Lord while being held in prison and there are many more examples throughout the Word of God.
Is it possible that we can praise the Lord and permit him to reign in our daily lives? Yes, I believe that as we spend time prayer reading God’s Word and listening quietly to Him, we allow him greater access into our lives because we are embracing the One who is the way, the truth and the life. It is through this time of loving submission that we can go forth in victory to love and serve the Lord with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind and all of our strength and love our neighbors as ourselves. This is possible through his power alone and not through any innate ability that we possess. It is the grace of God on which we stand just as the great cloud of witnesses from Hebrews 11 stood and obtained a great testimony before God because they kept their eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. (See Hebrews 12:2 NLT)
Walking in obedience to God shows our love for him and is the highest form of praise that we could possibly offer him.
“He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” John 14:21 KJV
What an awesome treasure that the God of the universe would manifest or reveal himself to us! This treasure is available to us when we walk through the curtain that has been opened to us into the new life provided. We are translated from one world into another and our citizenship is now in heaven at the very throne of God himself, we have entered the Holy of Holies by the blood of Jesus.
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